Motorists faced major traffic disruption this morning after separate incidents closed part of the A55 on Anglesey and the M56 in Cheshire.

A woman motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a crash just before the Britannia bridge on the Anglesey side.

The bridge was closed from just before 8am and traffic was reported to be very heavy on the A5 as vehicles made their way towards the Menai suspension bridge. The route was reopened after around half an hour, but traffic delays continued until after 9am.

A lorry fire closed part of the M56 for more than five hours, causing massive traffic disruption.

All lanes were closed from 6am to 8.50am and two lanes were reopen by 9.25am. The third lane was finally reopen by 11.20am, but police warned it will take two to three hours for the traffic to clear.

Officers urged drivers to avoid the area until the backlog of traffic could clear.

Motorists were stuck in queues stretching from the Runcorn Bridge, on the M56 from North Wales, A55 from Chester and M53. The opposite carriageway was also heavy, as was the M62 and the M6.

There were reports of 12 miles of traffic heading out of Flintshire towards the M56 as a result of the lane closure.

Motorists had been advised to leave the motorway before junction 12 at Runcorn and follow diversions.

Police said fears the load of tyres on board the lorry would catch fire again meant removing the trailer could take some time.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: "The removal of the trailer that is on fire may take some time due to the nature of the load being tyres and the possibility of reigniting the fire.

"Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible and find alternative routes as the areas around Ellesmere Port Chester Runcorn and Warrington are very heavily congested."

Queuing traffic in the eastbound lane of the A55 on Anglesey (Image: Gareth Wyn Williams)

Problems were also reported on the A483 today at Pulford after the roundabout was closed to install traffic lights.

Fire crews from Menai Bridge and Bangor had been sent to the scene of the Britannia Bridge crash, but a spokeswoman said they were not required to do anything other than assist paramedics with the casualty.

A North wales Police spokesman said: “A patrolling police officer reported the incident at 7.52am and officers and other emergency services were alerted.

“A female motorcyclist was said to be injured.

“She was treated by paramedics at the scene and then taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd.”

Delays on the A55 at Britannia Bridge because of an accident

A Welsh Ambulance spokeswoman said: "We were called at 7.49am to a road traffic collision involving a motorcycle on the eastbound carriageway of the A55 near the Britannia Bridge. We responded with a paramedic in a rapid response car, a crew in an emergency ambulance and an ambulance officer, and a woman was taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd with what are thought to be non-life threatening injuries."

There were also problems at Llanddulas where two vehicles crashed on the eastbound slip road. No one was hurt and the road was reopened after the vehicles were removed.

A pothole on the M53 near Hooton was causing delays for westbound traffic.